Electric switch.



2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

:80. 881,686. PAT-BNTED MAR. 10, 190

s. HOADLBY. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1907.

No. 881,686. PATENTED MAR. 10, 1908,

S. HOADLBY.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLIOATION IILED AUG. 12, 1901.

' z SHEETS-SHEET 2. .6. 2f

1 1 Central IbCentrali I I Tb Central QYzCen'lral 15.2.

WITNESSES: I IN VEN TOR:

ATTORNEY.

- a citizen of the United States, residing at out of connection with either one of two cen- SILVESTER HOADLEY, OF. GOSI ORT, INDIANA.

ELECTRIC 'swrr'cn.

.' Specification of Letters Patent.

5 Patented March 10, 1908.

a imation filed August i2, 1907. Serial Np. 388,092;

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, SILVESTER HOADLEY,

Gosport, in the county of Owen and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches; and I do declare the followingto be'a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofireference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to electrical switches and has reference particularly to devices whereby telephone signal bells may be switched in or out ofcircuit where a telephone may be arranged to be switched in or tral telephone stations or exchanges, and where an extension bell or separate bell is used for calling the telephone subscriber, so that when the subscriber has speaking connection with either one of the two exchanges he may be called from the other exchange.

The object of the invention is to provide. an improved switch for independent or extension call bells of telephones adapted to operate in connection with a telephone and two central exchanges or similar connections, a further object being to provide improvements in switches ofwell known construc tion whereby to adapt them I or automatically switching a separate or extension call bell in or out of connection with either one of two central exchanges in order that the subscriber may be enabled to -use but one telephone instrument with two telephone systems, thus obviating the necessity of providing a telephone instrument for each system, a still further object being to provide switching apparatus of the above-mentioned character that may be produced at 1 relatively small expense and be durable and economical in use.

With the above-mentioned and minor obl jects in view the invention consists in an improved telephone switch comprising two pairs of contact devices ada ted to be connected with circuit wires am having each a supplemental contact element connected therewith, a pair of pivoted switch bars adapted to be connected with circuit wires, and elastic connections normally engaging the supplemental Contact elements and adapted to be disengaged from either pair of i contact elements automatically by means of the operations of the switch bars, the invention consisting furtherin the novel elements and combinations and arrangements of elements as hereinafter particularly described and referred to in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a erspective view of the improved vswitch; ig, 2, a transverse sectional view thereof taken through the switch bars in mid position; Fig. 3, a longitudinal central sectional view with the switch bars in proper position for connecting the telephone with one of the exchanges; Fig. 4, a fragmentary sectional view showing details of construction of one of the contact devices and supplemental contact elements; Fig. 5, a perspective view of the elastic connectors as preferably constructed for application to switches which may have been heretofore constructed Fig. 6, a plan view of the improved switch diagrammatically connected with a telephone and a separate or extension signal bell; and, Fig. 7, a modified form and arrangement of the switch with the telephone and signal bell.

Similar reference characters in the various figures of the drawings designate corresponding elements or features of construction.

In practically carrying out the ob'ects of the invention, the entire switch may e variously constructed in detail, but for the purposes of illustrating and describing the invention a well known type of plain switch is shown which comprises an insulating base a which may be suitably composed of porcelain or'similar material and having holes I) and b to receive screws or other devices for securin the base to a wall or other su port, one en of the base having a pair of ouble spring contact devices 0 and d mounted thereon, and the opposite end of the base havin another pair of similar contact devices e and f mounted thereon, the contact device 0 being connected to a binding post g, the contact device (1 being connected to a binding post it, and the other contact devices e and f being connected to binding posts i and 1' respectively. Circuit wires k and Z are connected b0 the binding posts 9 and h respectively, and these are designated as beingin electrical connection witha central exchange,

-' two other wires m and n being connected to thebinding' posts i and j respectively, and may be in electrical connection with a separate central exchange. The contact devices are pre! :rably composed ofcopper or other suitablr electrical conducting material. A A

air of supports 0 and p are mounted on the ase midway between the two pairs of contact devices and have binding posts and r respectively connected therewith, and to whic two circuit wires 8 and t are connected, the posts and supports being electrical conductors. A pair of switch bars at and o are pivoted to the'supports o and 1) respectively, and they swing into contact either with the pair of contact devices a and d orwith the pair of contact devices 6 and f, the switch ars being provided with an insulating operating'bar w having a handle w- It will thus be seen that either the two wires k and Z may be switchedinto connection with the two understood. Such switches are now largely used substantially as shown and hereinbe= fore described, but for the purposes of the invention the various elements thereof may be variously constructed and improved.

The essentially new elements of the invention considered separately, comprise an oblong insulating plate a; on which two elastic connectors 11; and z composed'of conducting metal are suitably mounted with their middle portions in contact with the middle portion of the plate, the end portions of the connectors being curved away from the plate so that the connector g has two elastic contact fin ers 12 and 13 at opposite ends thereof, an the connector 2 has two contact fingers 14 and 15 at the ends thereof adapted to be forced towards the plate but normally held therefrom elastically. The connector 3 is provided with a binding\screw 1, and the connector 2 is provided with a binding screw 2 and these screws may be suitably employed for securing the connectors to the plate a. The binding screw lhas a circuit wire 3 connected thereto thus electrically connecting the wire to the connector y, and a circuit wire 4 is connected by the screw 2 with the connector z when the late as is arran ed on the base a as designe in the practica use of the invention when combined with the other features hereinbefore indicated. Preferably the plate a: has guides 5, 6 and 7 for assisting in retaining the connectors y and 2 on the plate, or other suitable means may be employed, and the plate a: preferably has shoul ers 8 and 9 to engage the support 0,

- and shoulders 10 and 11. to engage the support p for holding the plate against sliding movement on the base a, and the late may be further secured by other suita le means if desired while it extends between the supports 0 and so that the fingers 12 and -14 will extend etween the contact .devices c contact devices e and f.

and ha and d, andthe fingers 13 and 15 between the A supplemental contact element 16 is connected to the contact device 0 and is normally eng ed by the finger 12, a supplemental contact e ement 17 being connected with the contact device d and normally engaged by the finger 14, and

supplemental .contact elements 18 and 19 are-- connected with the contact devices eand f respectively and normally eng ed by the fingers 13 and 15 respectively. he supplemental contact elements, as 17,'may. besuitably connected to the contact devices by means'of shanks extending under thecontact devices and secured by a screw 20 which secures the contact device d to the base a as shown particularly in Fig. 4, or otherwise 'as' may be.desired. Also ifdesired the plate a:

may be secured to the .base a by means of time, the base'a'may be formed with an ele- 7 vated portion ato serve the urpose of the separate base plate a, the mo lfication being shown in Fig. 7 in which the switch is other aof wise slightly modified, there being a single connector-y used instead oftwo connectors a binding screw'l, tho-connector being partially retained by means rot ribs 7 on theelevated portion 0/ In'this modification a sulpplem'ental contact 'element" 1651's; I V

y connected with the contact de electrical vice c, and a similarsupplemental-element" '18 is connected with the contact device e, to

be normally engaged by thecontact fingers 12 and 13 res ectively of the connector.

As shown in ig. 6, a telephone instrument 23 is connected to the wires 8 and t and a se arate or extension signal bell 24' of suitab e construction is connected to the wires 3- and 4, so that when the wires k and l are conneoted with the wires 8 and t and therefore "with the telephone, the switch bars a and/u have enga ement with the contact devices 0 and d, an the fingers 12 an 14 and force them out of contact with the contact elements 16 and 17 as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6, or in some cases the bar w need not be moved far enough to engage the fingers 12 and 14 to disconnect them, and this in some cases may be desirable. It will be seen therefore that while connection is made between central N o. 2 and the telephone, the subscriber ma be called by central No. 1 because the si a bell 24 will be connected with centra No. 1 through the wires 3 and 4, and the connectors y and z in engagement with the contact elements 18 and 19, and therefore with the wires m and 12.. If however, the switch bars be thrownover in reverse positions so as to connect the tele hone with central No. 1, the signal bell will be disconnectedfrom central No. 1 by means of the bar w engaging the fingers the operating bar to will engage bindin screw 1 a wire 26 connects the si nal hell with the binding post 7' and therefore with the wire n, and a 00p. 27 connects the binding osts h and thereby making a continuous me of the wires 1 and n with a branch coin rising the wire 26 to the signal bell 24. In t 118 case when new switches entire are constructed, the switch bar '0 may be dispensed with and then the wire t may be connected with the line comprising the loop 27 so that the circuit will be made or broken as be tween the wires k and m, and the circuit between one or the other and the signal bell by means of the contact fin ers 12 and 13, so that the subscriber may e' called either by central No. 1 or by central No. 2 when the telephone is connected with the other exchange as illustrated in Fig. 7. J In practical use if the switch bars 11. and 'v are in mid position so as to not enga e either pair of contact devices, the signal bel 24 may e sounded from either telephone system, and if the switch bars a and 1) connect the subscriber with central No. 2 as in Fig. 6 then obviously central No. 2 ma call the subscriber by means of the usua telephone call bell, and conversation may be carried on with a subscriber of central No. 2, and at the same time the subscriber may also be called by central No. 1 through the means of the si nal bell 24. The reverse connections are i ustrated in Fig. 7 in which the tele hone is connected with central No. 1 and tie signal bell 24 is connected with central No. 2. be understood of course that the improved switch may be used in various other electrical circuits ,and for other purposes than herein-described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claime' as new is- 1. An electrical switch including an insulating base member, two contact devices mounted on the base member and provided each with a supplemental contact element,

' an electrical connector rovided with a bindmg screw and mounte on the base member tric It will 7 and havi two elastic fingers, each finger normally 1n contact with its respective contact element, a switch bar mounted on the base member and movable into connection With either contact device, and a non-conducting element attached to the switch bar to press either one of the fingers away from the contact element.

2. An electrical switch including an insulating base member, two pairs of contact devices mounted on the base member and 3 '55 mental contact element, a pair of electrical I' connectors provided each with a binding each contact device provided with a supplescrew and mounted on the base member and each having two elastic fingers, each finger-of each connector normally in contact with its respective contact element of a contact device of either pair thereof, a pair of switch bars mounted on the base member to engage either pair of contact devices, and an operating bar attached to the switch bars to engage a finger of each connector.

3. In an electrical switch, the combination of a base member, two pairs of electrical contact devicesmounte on the base member and having each a supplemental contact element electrically connected therewith that extends opposite to the base member, each contact device bein provided with a binding 0st and insulated one from another, a pair of conducting supportsmounted on the base member and provided each with a binding ost, the supports being insulated one from the other, a pair of switch bars piv' oted to the supports to engage either pair of contact-devices, an operating bar attac ed to the pair of switch bars, and a pair of eleca connectors provided each with a binding screw and mounted on the base member between the supports and electrically insulated from the supports and the contact devices,

SILVESTER HOADLEY.

Witnesses:

ASAHEL H. WAMPLER, .JoHN W. GRAHAM. 

